Winter's Child
by Phoenixflame
Summary: After the events of Final Fantasy Eight, Selphie returns to Trabia Garden to help rebuild. And in her adventures there, she'll learn more about herself, the world, and the mysterious Shumi...
1. Arrivals

Balamb Garden had always been the most beautiful Garden. The  
designers had planted gardens everywhere they could in Balamb,  
and run canals of water throughout the first level. Benches,  
walls, and furniture was in soft shades of pastel that were  
pleasing to the eyes.  
  
In contrast, the other Gardens were rather plain. Galbadia was  
militaristic, with elegant touches here and there, while Trabia  
was small and plain.   
  
And Trabia had been wrecked thoroughly. By Galbadia.  
  
Selphie shook her head. There were few things that the cheerful  
girl truly hated, but Galbadia was one of them. Even though the  
orders had been given by Seifer and Ultimecia, she still held   
them responsible.  
  
But tomorrow, she'd be returning to her home.  
  
Irvine had pleaded with her to stay. Selphie had been adamant  
on her decision, though. It had always been her intent to return.  
Squall had granted her permission, and the papers were already  
filed.   
  
She would be returning home to assume the duties of Headmaster,   
and to rebuild Trabia.  
  
With Xu and Quistis's help, a large sum of money had been put  
aside for Selphie to use in the reconstruction. Selphie had  
used it to buy large quantities of wood, metal, and tools. The  
materials for Trabia lay even now in the belly of the dragon   
ship Ragnarok.  
  
Sitting up, Selphie shook away those thoughts, and smiled   
brightly. She would miss her friends at Balamb, but Trabia had  
always been her home.  
  
"Sephie! There you are. I was wondering if we'd have to drag   
you to the cafeteria. Rinoa's throwing a party for you."   
  
Tunring around, the brown-haired girl grinned at Irvine. Him and  
Zell stood behind her, wide smiles on their faces.   
  
"Yeah, she ordered a cake from Balamb, and plently of eats." Zell  
told her. "And everyone's down there waiting for you. Even   
Squall."  
  
"Sounds like fun!" Selphie bounced up from the springy grass of   
the Quad, and favored both men with a thumbs up. "I'm going to  
miss this place."  
  
"You could always stay another month." the cowboy told her, his  
brown eyes hopeful.   
  
"You wish!" Selphie stuck out her tongue playfully. "Come Hyne   
or Ultimecia, I'm going back home." It slipped out easily. She'd  
meant to say Trabia, but...  
  
"I thought Balamb was home?" Zell looked hurt.  
  
"Yeah, it is, but... Trabia..." Selphie wrinkled her nose. "Ah,  
come on, we've got a par-tay to be at." Grabbing the hands of  
both men, she dragged them along towards the Cafeteria.  
  
***  
  
Five hours later, she ended up back in her quarters, exhausted  
by the festivities. But she would be leaving in only three  
hours. What sleep she would miss could be caught up on in the  
Ragnarok.   
  
Sighing, she ran a hand down the soft but tough fabric of her  
jumper. It was bright yellow, the kind of color that always  
made her happy. But she wouldn't be able to wear it in Trabia.  
When she had gone back with Squall and the others, she'd almost  
frozen to death. Only Irvine lending her his trenchcoat had kept  
her from getting deathly ill.   
  
Her new outfit lay on the table, left there by one of the students  
assigned gopher duty. It consisted of a long navy blue skirt that  
went down to the top of her boots, lined with soft fur. The top   
was a turtleneck of the same color. And the long coat that went  
over it all was white with snow lion fur lining the inside. In the  
pockets was a pair of matching gloves.  
  
The outfit had cost her half a weeks salary. It was fortunate that  
she had squirreled a lot of her money away during the campaign against  
Ultimecia, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to include food  
rations and medical equipment with her savings.  
  
The room she'd used for the past three months had been stripped  
bare of everything. She'd hidden the mattress on board the   
Ragnarok, along with the blankets, pillows and sheets. Even the  
curtains had been hidden in the pillowcases. Non-perishable food  
she had gotten from the cafeteria was sealed in packages in the  
hold of the Ragnarok.  
  
Selphie was taking no chances on running out of things. Even with  
the supplies she'd bought, it was a sure bet she'd be short on   
some things.  
  
Bracing herself with one hand against the wall, she slid into a   
seat. *All I need is a few seconds to get back some energy.* she  
thought hazily. *I'll just lie my head down...*  
  
***  
  
Her footsteps sounded hollow on the stone floors of Ultimecia  
Castle. Lightening flashed outside. Every time she peered out  
the window, it looked like the world was falling apart. And  
she supposed it was.   
  
*Eyes in front of yourself.* she reminded herself sharply,  
and resolutely set her eyes in front of herself.   
  
Leading the group of three was Irvine. On either side of him  
was Zell and Selphie. Elsewhere in the castle, Quistis, Squall,  
and Rinoa were searching for more of the same monsters that held  
the secret to unlocking their abilities.  
  
Up, and up, and up they went. Down and around, up, and over.   
Ahead of them, a long stone bridge led to a door. Selphie   
noticed light behind the door.  
  
Above them, the storm poured down its fury, soaking her to  
the bone. Irvine escaped the worst of it, but Zell and Selphie  
were both shivering in the cold night air as they walked  
across the bridge to Ultimecia's lair.  
  
Waiting for them were their companions. Squall, Rinoa, and  
Quistis had already made it there.   
  
"Is everyone ready?" Squall asked. He looked grim, and there  
was something in his eyes that dissuaded Selphie from saying  
or doing anything other than nodding.  
  
"Then let's go." Quistis said. She gestured to Squall, and he  
threw the doors open. Selphie fell into the semi-circle formation  
that formed around Squall, and stepped through the door.  
  
Then the world became a screaming sense of swirling. Selphie felt  
the ground drop out from under her, and she saw a silver-haired  
woman with black wings and a red robe that barely covered her.  
She lashed out with her Strange Vision, striking at the evil  
sorceress. Then she felt the world dissolve as she watched  
Bahamut rear up and deliver his attack.  
  
A clawed paw lashed out, striking her hard in the stomach. Claws  
dug in, and she screamed weakly. Even as she reached for a   
potion, she heard Quistis reacting. A Curaga spell banished the  
pain, but she still felt weak.  
  
Carbuncle was bouncing around inside of her, trying to get out  
and use Ruby Light. But she knew what would happen. Support Magic  
was necessary at the moment to protect them all... Raising her  
hand, she called down Aura on Squall, who was in the process of  
throwing a Phoenix Down onto Quistis's prone form.  
  
"I shall Junction myself unto Griever!" screamed Ultimecia. Selphie  
tried not to scream her frustration. The sorceress knew so many   
ways to frustrate them.   
  
*I'm going to die here.* she thought, blindly striking out with   
Strange Vision.* Somewhere beside her, Squall held out the glowing  
blade of Lionheart, and leapt forwards towards Ultimecia.  
  
Then the world blurred, and she was in unendending blackness.   
Ultimecia had changed again, and Selphie screamed. The  
sorceress looked worse than all the monsters she'd ever seen  
before. Where her head should be was a shell with blinding light  
shining out. The rest of her body was a parody of the red gown  
she had worn. And below, her head lolled around upside down, grey  
hair streaming...  
  
There was no mercy... and even as she was torn apart she was  
screaming. Screaming, and fighting, and lashing out even as...  
  
And she fell out of the chair onto the floor.  
  
Selphie breathed hard, eyes shut. She took a moment to return to  
herself. She was in her dorm room. Not Ultimecia Castle, not in   
the void. Ultimecia would be dead for thousands of years. She  
was... safe. The dreams could come again, but she was safe  
for now.  
  
Sitting up, she peered blearily at the clock. Then she gulped  
and scrambled to her feet. "Iyeee! I've only got half an  
hour to get to the Ragnarok!" she shrieked. In a flurry of  
motion, she set to it.  
  
***  
  
Twenty minutes later, clad in the new fur-lined outfit and  
feeling like she'd been sunbathing on Cactuar Island, Selphie exited   
Balamb Garden. Sitting next to the Garden was the huge red shape of  
the Ragnarok. Her friends stood beside it, waiting for her.  
  
"Hey Selphie!" Rinoa beamed at her. Selphie smiled back. The blue-clad  
sorceress stood beside Squall. The stoic Commander had an arm wrapped  
around Rinoa's waist. "We couldn't just let you sail on off to  
Trabia without a good sendoff, so we got you some presents."  
  
"Cool! Prezzies!" Selphie clapped her hands. "Lemme see, lemme see!"  
  
"Here." Zell handed her a nice bracelet with turquoise set in it. "I  
picked this up when I was in Balamb."  
  
"Thanks!"   
  
"No problem." The martial artist stepped back to let Quistis step up.  
  
The salmon-clad blonde smiled at Selphie fondly. "You were a very good  
student for the few days I had you in my class, and a good comrade  
the rest of the time. Since it's so cold up there, I thought you should  
have someone who's supportive. I only junctioned once with Carbuncle,  
but I know how much of a handful she can be... Here." A strange aura  
appeared around Quistis, then dove into Selphie. She staggered slightly.  
Quistis braced her. "He's a handful. Don't let him bully you."  
  
/I'm no bully./ a baritone roar replied. /Greetings, young warrior. I  
am Bahamut./   
  
Selphie stared incredulously at Quistis. "You're giving me Bahamut? I  
can't..."  
  
"You'll be fine with him." Quistis assured her. "He's a good Guardian  
Force for up north, at any rate."  
  
"Thank you." Selphie replied, honestly touched. Quistis smiled, and  
stepped back.  
  
"This is a gift from Matron, Cid, and me." Squall told her shortly. He  
handed her a box, and stepped back, hands shoved in the pockets of  
his jacket.  
  
"Thank you, and give Matron and the Headmaster my thanks." Selphie   
didn't open the box. She reasoned that it could wait until Trabia.  
  
"And you save the best for last." drawled Irvine, stepping up. "Close  
your eyes, darlin'."  
  
Faintly exasperated, Selphie obeyed. Then, before she could brace  
herself, Irvine hugged her, and gave her a long, passionate kiss.  
Dimly, she heard Quistis scold "Irvine Kinneas!"  
  
The cowboy released her, leaving her reeling. She scowled at him,  
and aimed a kick at his knee. He skipped backwards, favoring her   
with a rogueish grin.   
  
"Hmmph!" Rinoa pushed her way past Irvine, kicking him slightly   
as she passed. "Meany." She winked at Selphie, and handed her a  
package. "This ought to help out a lot. Good luck." The two  
hugged, and Rinoa stepped back.  
  
"Yo!" called one of the crewmen from the Ragnarok. "We're on a   
schedule here! There's a blizzard moving in over Trabia in the next  
six hours. If we don't leave now..."  
  
"Uh oh! Got to go!" Selphie smiled cheerily at all of them. She somehow  
managed to avoid looking at Irvine. "I'll send letters when I can..."  
  
"Good luck!" Rinoa shouted after her.   
  
"Be careful!" Quistis added.  
  
"Good luck!" Zell yelled.  
  
"Stay safe, darling." Irvine tipped his hat slightly. Squall just  
gave her the SeeD salute. Selphie cheerily returned it.   
  
As the Ragnarok lifted off the ground, and the hatch began to shut, she   
shouted "Goodbye!" and favored them all with a salute.  
  
***  
  
The way things turned out, the blizzard was only half an hour away when   
the Ragnarok set down by Trabia Garden.   
  
The T-Garden students were quick at unloading, but Selphie heard the  
crewmen grouching.   
  
"You, hoist that one next! It's got the food supplies, we need to get  
it under shelter first!" she shouted at a nearby student. The student  
obliged, snagging a few of his former classmates and drafting them into  
helping him lift the heavy container.  
  
"Headmistress?" The head of the crew spoke, and she whirled around.   
  
"Yes, Captain?" she replied.  
  
"We've got two minutes left before the storm hits. We've got to lift   
out of here soon, or we'll be stuck."  
  
"We've still got to unload the rest of the supplies!" Selphie protested.  
  
"Ma'am, I don't give a damn."  
  
Selphie scowled at him. "We're unloading this stuff if I have to get out  
Strange Vision and hold you all hostage until it's all unloaded. Got   
that?"  
  
The Captain, who was no match for a SeeD, nodded. He looked somewhat  
paler.  
  
"Hurry up!" Selphie turned around to shout at the students. "We've only  
got two minutes til the blizzard hits!"  
  
If they moved any faster, she couldn't tell.  
  
Five minutes later, as the blizzard began to howl outside, the last of  
the containers were of the the Ragnarok and into storage.  
  
"Headmistress, this way!" called a lavender-scarfed student, grabbing   
Selphie's arm. Selphie didn't resist, and let the girl pull her out of  
the cargo hold and out of the Ragnarok.  
  
The wind and snow hit her all at once, and she cursed herself for   
forgetting that she'd need a hood. The students leading her wore long  
cloaks of snow lion fur over their uniforms. As she followed them through  
the snow, she dully wondered why they made Trabia uniforms with short  
skirts. It seemed so ridiculous. During summer, they were fine, but...  
  
Her thoughts trickled off as they reached the gates. The other students   
were wrestling with them, trying to get them shut. A faint pressure in  
her head warned Selphie that Bahamut was going to activate a junction  
ability without warning or prompting.  
  
"Get back!" she screamed over the howling of the wind. The students  
obeyed her. Raising her arms, Selphie felt Bahamut howl within her, and  
then...  
  
With a mighty push, she shoved one of the gates shut. Then the other.  
And as soon as it had come, it was gone. As Bahamut receded into the back  
of her mind, Selphie felt her knees buckling. And she was... sinking   
down... snow... ice... darkness. 


	2. Headmistress and Student

Conciousness returned slowly. She lay under something furry, something  
that felt like she was laying next to a fire. Someone had pulled off  
her jacket and her boots, and covered her in fur.  
  
Opening her eyes, she squinted against the light bombarding them. There  
was a single lightbulb hanging in the compartment she was sleeping  
in.   
  
*This looks like a storage compartment.* she thought, stretching  
lazily. The fure outfit and the snow lion fur covering was wretched  
excess. Fanning herself with one hand, she reached for her boots.  
Pulling them on, she shoved the fur aside, and flipped the opening  
switch.   
  
The compartment sprang open, revealing the underground storage  
for Trabia Garden. *Of course, it would survive the missiles.* Selphie  
nodded to herself, remembering the aboveground storage compartments  
that the students had been using as bedrooms when she had visited  
with Squall and the others.  
  
"Headmaster?" A short blonde boy in the uniform of Trabia Garden  
scrambled to his feet.. "Alaina asked me to wait here until you  
woke up."  
  
"Call me Selphie." the brown-haired girl replied, raking her fingers   
through the shoulder-length brown hair. "Where's Alaina?" She smiled  
encouragingly at the boy.  
  
"Upstairs. She's been bouncing off the walls since you arrived." the  
boy replied.  
  
"Thanks!" Selphie smiled at the boy. "Tell whoever you come across that  
we're having a meeting in the biggest storage room, kay?"  
  
"Yes, Ms. Selphie!" the boy replied. He hurried off to inform the other   
students.   
  
"Just call me Selphie!" she called after him. "Oh well." she commented  
to herself.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the survivors of the missiles were gathered in  
the empty storage room. Most of them were obviously chilly in their  
uniforms. Selphie smiled at the people she knew, and moved to stand   
in front of them. "Headmaster Cid of Balamb Garden has named me the  
new Headmaster for Trabia Garden. He gave me funds for supplies, and  
sent me here in the Ragnarok. We haven't been given any other SeeDs,  
due to the problems with Galbadia and the Galbadia Garden   
reconstruction."  
  
There was a stirring in her audience, and a redhead who wore the  
uniform of a senior cadet stood up. "Where are the funds?"  
  
"Spent." Selphie replied. "I purchased all the supplies before I   
came here. The cargo you and your fellow cadets unloaded was the  
result of that spending."  
  
Muttering sprang up, and the girl said "We have few weapons and  
fewer people who know how to use them. The faculty are either  
fled, dead, or hoplessly useless. Trabia Garden as it is now  
is unrepairable." She looked around at the other cadets. "In  
other words, Trabia Garden is dead."  
  
"Trabia Garden is not dead!" Alaina, who was sitting on the other  
side of the room, rocketed up. "Not as long as we survive!"  
  
"There are no SeeDs. There are no teachers. We can't even graduate  
our own students." the other girl retorted.  
  
"Hold on. What's your name?" Selphie asked, looking at the girl.  
  
"Moira." replied the girl.  
  
"Moira, Trabia Garden is not dead. This shell we live in right   
now is dead. It's good only as a shelter, and even that  
usefullness is expiring." Selphie said. "But we can rebuild   
somewhere else in Trabia."  
  
"With no funds? With no way of generating income?" Moira put her  
hands on her hips. "Boy, I've got to see this."  
  
"Show some respect for the Headmistress." Alaina glared at  
Moira.  
  
"We have a chance." Selphie raised her hand, and the room went  
silent. "Once the blizzard stops, I'm taking a choboco, and   
going to Shumi."  
  
  
***  
  
  
Wrapped in snow lion fur, Selphie could hardly move as the chocobo she   
rode moved swiftly over the snow-covered landscape. She was warm and  
reasonably comfortable, but almost totally immobile. Fortunately,  
the chocobo knew where they were going.  
  
The blizzard had left miles and miles of pristine snow that seemed   
to stretch out in all directions. Selphie watched warily for monsters,  
knowing as she did that it was very unlikely that any creature  
short of a hasted ruby dragon would be able to catch up with the  
racing chocobo.  
  
Soon enough, the snow gave way to the ocean. Selphie found herself  
bracing as the chocobo raced down onto the snow covered beach and  
onto the water. But her reaction was for nothing, as the chocobo  
somehow ran faster, jumping over the water like it wasn't even  
there.  
  
An hour later, the chocobo reached the path that led to the dome.  
Dismounting, Selphie led the chocobo behind her by the reins  
down the heat-jet path and into the dome.  
  
The three robed Shumi who guarded the Ultima draw point let her  
past without comment, black eyes watching her with curiosity as  
she passed.  
  
Entering the large room near the elevator leading down to Shumi,  
Selphie put the chocobo in one of the stables reserved for   
guests. Stripping off the furs, she stuffed them in one of the  
sealed boxes. She slammed the lid, and held her hand over the  
translucent panel on the lid. It glowed, and locked.  
  
Turning away, Selphie scurried out of the room, and into the  
elevator. The doors slid shut, and she sat down on one of the  
padded seats. As the lift descended, she ran her fingers   
through her hair.  
  
Shumi were a race that had once roamed the planet with   
humans, acting as teachers and scholars. They had hailed to  
no emperor, bowed to no government. Their only leader was  
accepted unanimously by the clans.  
  
When Deling had taken office, he had issued an order to the  
Shumi to intigrate and share their knowledge with Galbadia.  
Predictably, the Shumi had refused. In retaliation, the   
Galbadian army had hunted down whatever Shumi they could   
find, and killed them. At that point, Deling issued an  
ultimatum: Either the Shumi would surrender all they knew  
to Galbadia, or he would hunt them all down and kill them.  
  
The Shumi had fled to Trabia. At that time, there had been  
a small offshoot of Balamb Garden struggling to survive.  
In exchange for keeping quiet about the Shumi, Trabia  
entered a contract with the Shumi to construct Shumi  
Village. All gems and found in the excavation were  
given to Trabia Garden. Once Shumi Village was complete,  
the gems and metals went towards finishing the small Garden  
and a new Garden in Galbadia.  
  
So Trabia continued the tradition of sending cadets to  
Balamb for the exam, and SeeDs never saw the inside of  
Trabia Garden again.  
  
Selphie intended to change that.  
  
The elevator came to a stop, and the door hissed open.  
Standing up, Selphie walked out into the artificial  
sunlight.  
  
Shumi village was bright and cheery, at least to Selphie's  
eyes. The walls and ceiling of the immense cavern were  
covered with illusions of a slightly forested landscape.  
The brown domes looked perfectly natural among all the  
greenery.  
  
She took her time wandering down the dirt path, admiring  
the flowers and trees as she passed. Eventually, she  
wound up in front of the Elder's hut.  
  
The Moomba let her pass, purring contentedly at her.  
She smiled at it. Moombas seemed to be able to cheer  
anybody up merely by their presence.  
  
The Elder was alone inside of the hut, and he wore a   
grave expression. "Greetings, Selphie of Trabia.  
Welcome to Shumi Village."  
  
"Greetings, Honored Elder. Thank you for allowing me  
to enter your village." Selphie replied, sticking to  
the rigid protocol she'd been taught by the teachers   
at Trabia.  
  
"Very proper young lady." the Elder said. "But you  
needn't follow the protocol your teachers no doubt  
made you learn as a child." He gestured at a chair  
opposite him. "Please, sit."  
  
Selphie sat down, crossing her legs. "Anyway... I came  
here to see if we could make a deal or something."  
  
"A deal?" the Elder repeated. "What sort of deal?"  
  
"A trading deal." Selphie replied. "We could extend  
your caves, or do repair work, or give you half the  
goods we get from dealing with monsters..."  
  
The Elder thought that over. "We have a different   
deal for you." he said. "In exchange for helping  
to rebuild your caverns, you must consent to study  
here under Scholar."  
  
"Huh? That's a wierd deal, but... Okay." Selphie  
replied. She couldn't see anything odd about it,  
though. "Why, though."  
  
"Because Shumi love to teach." replied Elder. "And  
it has been far too long since we have had a student."  
  
"When do my lessons begin?"  
  
"Today." Elder replied. "Scholar is in the hut closest  
to the guest hut." He stood, and Selphie followed suit.  
"May you gain much knowledge, youngling."  
  
"Thank you, Elder. 


	3. The Garden Festival

Note: It just occurred to me, I haven't been using  
a disclaimer. So, merely for formalities... I don't  
own them. Never have, never will.  
  
  
As it turned out, Shumi help came through their   
technology. They located a honeycomb of caves,  
and gave Selphie the location. And they promised  
materials and instructions would be waiting for  
the students of Trabia.  
  
The Shumi left lightweight material that was  
much like the material they used to build huts. The  
stuff turned out to be extremely durable, and nails  
wouldn't work on it. When consulted, the Shumu told  
Selphie that it melted togther. The saws they were   
given could cut through it, given time.  
  
The walls of the caves were smooted slowly and   
paintstakingly. Then the stuff was fitted to the walls,  
and to the hallways of the caverns. Artificial   
lighting was installed in the ceilings of hallways,  
and occasionally in the rooms.   
  
Other exits to the cave were mostly sealed off, and  
a few just shut for later use. Airshafts were  
drilled in some places, and the Shumi helped them  
install a heating and cooling system in the caves.  
Slowly but surely, over the course of a year, Trabia  
Garden was reborn.  
  
During that time, Selphie spent half her time with  
the Shumi, and the other half with the students. She  
enjoyed her time with both, and slowly learned the  
traditions and habits of humans who were centuries  
gone...  
  
  
***  
  
  
Scholar had her studying an old Centran tome while he  
was working over an artifact of unknown origin. So   
Selphie had found a corner of the hut where a window  
let in the artificial sunlight, and stayed there,  
doing her best to read the book.  
  
Throughout the last month, Scholar had taught her the  
intricate language of the Centran people, complete with  
the bizzarre looping and twists of their letters. Scholar  
had even pushed her to learn how to write in Ancient   
Centran, as well as Common Centran, and the more   
known and slightly easier New Centran, which was the  
language used around the time of the Lunar Cry.  
  
The Lunar Cry was part of the reason why Centra had   
been so utterly destroyed. The other reason had been  
that the Lunar Cry had disrupted the beginning   
phases of a duel between two of the five sorceresses  
said to have existed in that time.  
  
According to Scholar, the energy downpour and the  
monsters from the moon had disrupted and amplified  
the attack spells the two sorceresses had been  
preparing.  
  
One of the spells had been Meteor, and the other was  
the sorceresss spell Tsunami. Meteor had created the  
large crater in the middle of Centra, and Tsunami had  
submerged large parts of what remained.  
  
The remaining energies had left a ripple effect on the  
rest of the world. Dollet, previously an inland city,  
had fallen partways into the sea, and the island of  
Balamb had been thrust up out of the sea.  
  
Precious knowledge and incredible works of art had   
perished with millions of people. The incredible  
cities had become mass graves beneatht the sea.  
  
However, the Centran tome Selphie was reading   
contained nothing terribly vital about Centra  
civilization. It was a journal of a fabric  
manufacturer, and contained nothing she could  
see as being terribly useful. If she was pressed,  
she could sell the secret to Deling City fashion  
designers, but Deling City was a long ways away.  
  
"So boring..." she said to herself. Shutting the   
book, she carried it back to the proper shelf,  
and set it in the plastic-looking box with care.  
  
She wandered among the shelves, looking at the   
varioud wonders and oddities that Scholar had   
collected over the years.  
  
A peculiar pyramid that looked like it had been  
carved out of turquoise sat on a high shelf. Selphie  
wrestled the stepladder into place, climbed up it,  
and carefully took the pyramid down.  
  
Walking as quietly as she could in the slippers she'd  
been given to wear in Shumi, Selphie walked out to  
where the shelves became large wooden tables. Sometimes  
Shumi studied tomes of information. Artisan especially  
could be found looking at drawings of the old Centran  
cities, admiring the sculptures.  
  
But the tables were empty of books and Shumi today.   
Breathing a sigh of relief, Selphie hurried over  
to one of the tables, and set the pyramid down on  
it.   
  
On closer inspection, the pyramid was in three parts  
cunningly fitted together. Heart in her throat, Selphie  
gently twisted the top of the pyramid around a bit,   
until it could only go back to the way it had been   
before. She repeated the process with the bottom part.  
  
The top became a translucent blue, and shot a beam of  
blueish light towards the ceiling. It resolved into   
the picture of a black-haired woman in a rainbow-hued  
silken gown. She wore a torque around her neck, and  
she stood facing Selphie. She began to speak in Common  
Centran.  
  
"I am Archimage Benna. This is a treatise on the entities  
known only as 'Wisps'." she said.  
  
"The creatures appear to have been created by a mad   
Mage, and are used to slowly but surely kill their  
host."  
  
"Wisps pick a human host depending on the power and  
strength of the host. It grows over the period of two  
years, depending on the host. Then it begins to affect   
its hosts behavior, driving the habits and hobbies  
to become its primary reason for living. Inevitably,  
however, the Wisp will reproduce, and this process  
will slowly destroy the host from within."  
  
"One can tell the host by the psychosis of the subject,  
and the enhanced strength and power of the subject.  
Also, the older the subject, the easier the Wisp will   
find to possess."  
  
"Certain rituals and spells have been developed to deal  
with the creatures. The endlessly helpful Shumi have   
been essential to the study and development..."  
  
Selphie twisted the top of the pyramid, and the image  
shut off. The description sounded familiar. Too bad there  
hadn't been an image of the creatures, so she'd know to  
avoid them.   
  
Shrugging, she picked up the pyramid, and carefully  
carried it back to where she had found it.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The new Trabia Garden was mostly complete. There was a notable   
lack of the soft amyethest toned building material in some places,   
and some of the rooms looked a bit empty. And water still came   
from melting snow down or from what the Trabian students had begun   
to call Crater Lake.  
  
So Selphie and some twenty-five cadets now occupied Trabia Garden.   
The ruins of the old Garden were being gone over for salvaging, but   
what little was left there was left for the monsters.  
  
It was high time for a celebration. And Selphie had just the thing.  
  
For a week now, cadets hung decorations around the main hallways of   
the Garden, and volunteered for the music. Food was made en masse.  
  
And for one day, there was no work to be done, except by those   
working to help out with the party. Ten Shumi, twenty-five SeeD   
cadets, and one Headmistress. In all, thirty-six party-goers, with   
five of those thirty-six taking hourly shifts to serve food and   
keep things running.  
  
By the time the sun set over Trabia Garden, the Garden Festival   
was in full swing. An impromptu band played Waltz For the Moon,   
and every cadet wore the uniform that they had eschewed to work   
on the new Garden.  
  
"Selphie!"  
  
She turned around. Alaina was standing behind her, grinning.   
"The cooks made this really great cheesecake." Alaina handed a   
plate with the cheesecake on it to Selphie, who sampled it and   
hummed with pleasure at the taste.  
  
"This is great. Who made it?"  
  
"Jax." Alaina replied. "Unfortunately, we're out of the   
ingredients for a second batch, so until we can get some   
more money and supplies..."  
  
"Oh well." Selphie savored every bite of the cake. Once it was   
gone, she set the plate down. "I think that I'll start up classes   
again soon." she casually remarked. "What do you think?"  
  
"Ugggh." Alaina waved her hand. "Even with the hands-on practice,   
my weapons skills are the worst."  
  
"Too bad your weapon isn't the nunchuks, or I'd be able to tutor   
you in them."  
  
"Instead, I use the saber. Just like a hero in a movie."  
  
"Just like Sir Laguna." Selphie smiled mischeviously.  
  
"Yeah." Alaina studied Selphie carefully as the girl looked out   
over the dancers on the floor. "You know, you've changed."  
  
"Huh?" Selphie swivelled to stared at Alaina. "I haven't changed!   
That's silly!"  
  
"Uh-uh." Alaina shook her head stubbornly. "You used to be the   
biggest airhead in Trabia Garden."  
  
"Hey!"   
  
"Let me finish. You were always so happy, so cheerful, and now   
you're..." Alaina waved her hand. "I dunno... Quieter. More   
responsible."  
  
"Well... I gotta be." Selphie shrugged. "I gotta be the best   
Headmistress I can, after all."  
  
"That isn't it." Her old friend studied her intently, face serious.   
"What happened to you?"  
  
Selphie's shoulders slumped. "Not here. Not now, Alaina. Please?"  
  
Alaina looked at her, face unreadable. Finally, she said slowly  
"Let's go outside, okay?"  
  
"Huh?" Selphie looked up at her. "Sure." Getting up, she followed  
Alaina out of the room.  
  
The corridors of Trabia were deserted, and no one was there to  
witness the two slipping into their fur-lined snow gear. The two  
left the warm interior, emerging into the nighttime.  
  
Stars sparkled above them. It was the new moon, and there was  
nothing hiding the brilliance of each of the stars that seemed  
like tiny silver beads sewn into the velvet blackness that was  
the sky. Selphie exhaled, and her breath froze in the air. The  
cold was like a knife. Pulling her scarf tight, she asked softly  
"What now?"  
  
Alaina hesitated, then pointed towards the top of the mountain.  
It wasn't far from that particular exit, so Selphie nodded,   
and the two headed upwards.  
  
Bahamut stirred somewhere in her mind, sounding for all the world   
like he was muttering in his sleep.  
  
*That's a thought. I wonder if dragons sleep?*  
  
The image of a sleeping and cute Bahamut curled up like a cat brought   
a wistful smiled to Selphie's face as she followed Alaina up the stone  
path to the top of the mountain.  
  
From the top, the land spread out before the two women, all silver  
and blue. Selphie smiled. She never got tired of the view of the  
land, unspoiled by anything, with nothing for miles around. True,  
she liked company, but the sight before her was lovely.  
  
"Let's sit down over here." Alaina said, wiping off a flat stone  
left over from the work on the caverns. Once she was done, she  
dusted the snow off of her hands, and gestured for Selphie to  
sit down.   
  
She complied, and wrapped the cloak of snow lion fur she wore   
more tightly around herself.   
  
"Tell me." Alaina implored her, seating herself beside Selphie.  
  
"I don't..." Selphie hesitated. "Are you sure?"  
  
"You're my friend, Selphie. I don't care if you're a hero, I  
just want to help you out. Really." Alaina pressed her, eyes  
intent. "You can trust me. Promise."  
  
Selphie sighed, then took a breath of the knife sharp air,   
and replied "It all started when I ran into this guy at   
Balamb Garden..."  
  
The telling went well on into the night, and by the time  
it was over, both of them were thoroughly chilled.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Selphie was woken up sometime between midnight and dawn by one of the   
junior classmen. "Headmistress, the scouts caught someone trying to   
shelter over in the ruins of the old Garden. They thought you should   
deal with it."  
  
The brunette groaned and buried her head in her pillow. "Tell them I'll   
be there soon." she replied.  
  
"Yes, Headmistress."  
  
Pulling herself up, Selphie sighed, loathe to leave the warm blankets.  
True, the room was warm, but she was even warmer, curled under the  
warm fur and wool. Grumbling, she cast the covers aside and reached  
for her uniform.  
  
Five minutes later, dressed in the new, more practical uniform she'd   
made mandatory, Selphie arrived at the holding cells that had been   
made for criminals, monsters that cadets would eventually be studying,   
and any severe rule-breakers.  
  
Three familiar figures sat in one of the cells. Selphie's eyes widened   
when she recognized the young man sitting in the middle. "Seifer!"  



	4. The Posse and Dollet

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. 'Nuff said.  
  
  
  
The former Knight lifted his head, and tilted it slightly to the side.   
"Oh. The perky one."  
  
"What are you doing in Trabia, Seifer?" Selphie demanded.   
  
"You sound like Instructor Trepe." Seifer noted. "And for your   
information, we're hunting."   
  
"Hunting what?" Alaina asked from Selphie's shoulder as the   
sleepy Headmaster glared at Seifer.  
  
"SNOW LION." Fujin replied. "BUSINESS, NOT."  
  
"Yeah, we can hunt here if we want, ya know." Raijin told her,   
  
"That's true, but Old Trabia Garden is our property." Selphie   
pointed out."  
  
"It's abandoned." Seifer waved a hand. "And there's no Keep Out sign   
posted. Technically, we have as much a right to be there as you."  
  
"LEGAL."  
  
Selphie frowned. She didn't like Galbadia. Seifer had been their   
leader when Edea ruled there. *But not anymore.*  
  
Bahamut stirred. /I believe my last partner told me of this./ he   
commented /To my point of view, he was nothing more than a glorified   
bodyguard. And he no longer works against you. You are SeeD, so put   
aside personal conflict and see what use he could be./  
  
*What possible use...* Selphie's eyes drifted to the weapons the   
trio wore. *Of course.* She smiled. "Well, you do have a point."  
  
Startled by her change in attitude, the three regarded her warily   
as the door to their cell was unlocked and they were let out.  
  
"So we're free to go?" Seifer asked.  
  
"Yes... But I've got a business proposition for you..."  
  
  
***  
  
  
A few weeks later, things had settled down. The lessons with the   
Shumi were going on sporadically, with the approval of Scholar.   
For some reason, the Shumi were working on some sort of large   
project they didn't want Selphie in the village for.  
  
Classes had resumed. Selphie had hired Seifer, Fujin, and Raijin   
to act as instructors. Raijin was a pretty good weapons instructor,   
amazingly enough. Fujin was a good secretary and aide to Selphie,   
and Seifer ran an all-purpose class. The blonde-haired man was a   
surprisingly good teacher, especially in the areas of history,   
tactics and world politics.  
  
With Seifer acting as a defacto homeroom teacher for all the   
students (he worked in shifts and omplained bitterly), Raijin   
doing weaponswork, and Fujin as the stark fist of justice on   
rule-breakers and dissidents, things got quiet and stayed quiet.  
  
Unofortunately, on a quiet winter afternoon, Selphie was bored.   
There was nothing that needed doing. Classes were all in session,   
the students were under sharp eye of Raijin and Seifer, and   
Selphie had walked the length and breadth of Trabia Garden.  
  
So Selphie sat in her office, spinning in the office chair behind   
her desk in circles. Both had been salvaged from Old Trabia Garden,   
and worked very well. The office chair had been oiled, and spun   
around fast enough that Selphie fancied she could see through time.  
  
Her boredom ended when Seifer entered unanounced into her office.  
  
Selphie stopped the chair with her foot, and swivelled the chair   
to look at him, trying to resolve the four Seifers she could see   
into one. They all looked too amused for her tastes.  
  
"Having fun?" Seifer asked, smirking at her.  
  
"I've got nothing to do, and I'm bored." Selphie groaned.  
  
"We should switch places." Seifer commented, still looking smug   
at having caught the perky Headmaster off guard. "Anyway, I wanted   
to ask you something."  
  
"Shoot." Selphie replied. There was only one Seifer right now, and   
he looked like he was vibrating around the edges.  
  
"Well, judging from the storerooms, your students have done in more   
than enough snow lions. You've got more extra fur than you know what   
to do with,  
right?"  
  
"Sure." Selphie shrugged. "So what's the big deal?"  
  
Seifer stared at her. "Do you know how much snow lion fur is worth?"  
  
"Lots, why?"  
  
"Then why aren't you selling it?"  
  
"Maybe cause we're miles away from civilization?" Selphie suggested.   
"The Ragnarok and chobocos are our only way out of here."  
  
"Not true. How do you think Fuj, Raij and I got here?"  
  
The brunette frowned. "Choboco?"  
  
"Bite your tongue. Raijin breaks out in hives from the things, and   
I can't stand the smell of live poultry." Seifer looked disgusted   
at the thought. "Nah, we found an old Centran relic which is probably   
how the Shumi get out of here."  
  
"The what?" Selphie asked, her face innocent. The Shumi had advised   
her to keep quiet about them, since the Galbadians were still in   
search of them.  
  
"Don't play stupid. I know Shumi Village is up here, and I could   
care less." Seifer waved his hand in dismissal of the subject.   
"Anyway, there's a sort of magical tube going to the beach near Dollet."  
  
"A magical tube?" Somewhere within her head, Selphie felt Bahamut   
snap to attention.  
  
"Yeah. We found it, it focused on Fujin's pendant, and *zap*, there   
we were, in a magical tube. When we found out it went both ways, we   
started hunting snow lions and selling the furs for lots of gil."  
  
"Hey..." Selphie considered that. "I could bring a bunch of furs with   
me to Dollet, sell them, and have enough money to buy an old transport   
from them."  
  
"Exactly. And since a bunch of the students know more than enough to   
test out for SeeDship, we buy the transport, put out word that another   
Garden has become active, and start working."  
  
"Then test out the students and declare them SeeD." Selphie sat up   
straight. "You're a genius Seifer."  
  
"It's the truth." Seifer smirked. "So when do I get to be Commander?"  
  
"Don't push your luck."  
  
  
***  
  
  
The next day was clear and almost unbearably bright. Selphie, Alaina,   
and Fujin made their way down on to the beach.   
  
After about ten minutes of kicking around the snow, Fujin stopped, and   
waited. Alaina and Selphie shrugged, and watched.  
  
The odd sword pendant that Fujin wore began to glow green. Then it   
pulsed, and a column of light shot up from it. The faint outline of   
a tunnel was clear through the glow.  
  
"TUNNEL." Fujin pointed out unneccesarily. "FIRST, GO. I SHUT."  
  
Alaina shrugged and stepped past Selphie into the glow. She   
disappeared into the tunnel. Selphie cast an uneasy look at Fujin,   
and stepped into the glow.  
  
The tunnel was a glowing green and blue tube that reminded Selphie   
of the flitter tubes in Esthar. But unlike those, you couldn't see   
out of the tube.  
  
There was a 'zot' sound, and Fujin's voice came from behind her,   
annoyed. "BLOCKING WAY. MOVE!"  
  
Selphie hastily moved. The silver-haired woman gave her an annoyed   
look and loped down the tube. "COMING?" demanded Fujin.  
  
"Geez." muttered Selphie. "Lighten up." She hurried down the tube   
after the fuming wind master.  
  
  
***  
  
Some time later, Selphie sat in a Dollet cafe, sampling the local   
cheesecake with Alaina. The furs had been sold for quite a bundle,   
allowing Selphie to give Fujin her salary. As soon as possible, the   
petite woman had rushed off to the weapons shop, mumbling something   
about swords.  
  
The remaining money went towards two old Dollet military transports   
and a good supply of fuel and spare parts.  
  
Selphie took another bite of the cheesecake, nearly purring in   
appreciation. "This is good." she said.  
  
"Tell me about it." Alaina replied. "Dollet has the best cheesecake   
around. Must have something to do with the ingredients." She was   
sipping at the local Ghysal Greens brew. Selphie had warned her off  
because of the strongness of it, but Alaina had waved it off,   
scorning the warning.  
  
"Yo! Selphie!"  
  
Selphie twisted around in her seat, and clapped her hands in surprise.   
"Zell!"  
  
"What's up?" the spikey blonde said "Whatcha doing here?"  
  
"Buying some transports for Trabia." Selphie replied. "How is everyone?"  
  
Zell sat down at the table and crossed his legs. "Not so good." His   
face darkened. "Squall, Quistis and Rinoa have been acting wierd."  
  
"Wierd?" Selphie stared at him, smile starting to waver.   
  
"Yeah." Zell scratched his head. "After you left, Laguna contracted   
SeeD to clean out the monsters left in the city of Esthar and on the   
Great Plains. It was supposed to be Squall and Quistis, but... Squall's   
been getting real wierd. He's turned into a stone cold killer."  
  
"Huh?" Selphie frowned. "That doesn't sound much like Squall."  
  
"Quistis is the same. Between the two of them, it's been a bloodbath in   
Esthar. Monsters dying all over the place."  
  
"Ewww."  
  
"Rinoa's fanatically dedicated to Squall. She'll do anything he says.   
Right now, that means her draining herself to exhaustion slaughtering   
monsters."  
  
Selphie shook her head. "What about Irvine?"  
  
"He's got half the female population of the Garden in his bed."   
Zell replied bluntly. "Something's wrong with them, Selphie. And   
Quez is acting up."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He's getting slow summoning, and he won't talk to me anymore." Zell  
replied.  
  
*Bahamut?*  
  
The dragon stirred. /What?/ He sounded annoyed.  
  
*Why are the other Guardian Forces acting odd?*  
  
There was silence, then /Leave it alone./ The dragon withdrew.  
  
"Bahamut's not answering my questions." Selphie told Zell.  
  
"Sounds about right." Zell shrugged. "Anyway, I've got to catch a   
boat back to Balamb."  
  
"Bye, Zell." Selphie said.  
  
"Ya. Seeya later!" Zell left the restaurant, then broke into a jog   
towards the docks.  
  
Turning around, she saw Alaina staring in awe at Zell's   
retreating back. "What's wrong?"  
  
"He's one of the heroes who defeated Ultimecia." Alaina stared   
after Zell. "He's a legend!"  
  
"He's just Zell." Selphie really couldn't see why Alaina was   
going ape over her friend. "Sure, he helped stop Ultimecia,  
but..."  
  
"But? But he's the greatest martial artist of all time! There  
are legends developing around the SeeDs who fought the   
future, Selphie. Squall, the Lionheart, the Knight. Rinoa,  
the Angelic Sorceress. Quistis the wise, Irvine, the most  
handsome and lonely of them. Then there's Zell, the  
greatest martial artist ever! They even bewitched the  
Sorceress Edea to help them bring back Rinoa from the dead!"  
Alaina's eyes were starry. "And then there's you, Selphie the  
Bright One, the magician!" Selphie recoiled from the naked  
adoration in Alaina's eyes. "With you, I know you can rebuild  
Trabia, and I'll get to be a SeeD, since you're my friend,  
and..."  
  
Bile rose in Selphie's throat. "Alaina, what do you think I  
am?" she choked out, face frozen.  
  
"Of course!" Alaina rambled on, oblivious to the growing  
look of repulsion on Selphie's face. "I mean, what more is  
there? You're a hero! I mean, you're so perfect, and..."  
  
"NO!" Selphie slammed her hand on the table, angry. "Is  
that all you see me as?"  
  
The people in the cafe went quiet, and turned to look at  
the two girls. Alaina was oblivious. "You're a hero! Isn't  
that enough?"  
  
"I thought you were my friend." Selphie choked out.  
  
Alaina looked up, her pretty face twisted in a look of  
confusion. "Well, I mean, yeah, I guess..." she stammered.  
"You're a hero. Everything you touches turns to gold,  
and you win over everything. Your friends are heroic too,  
right? So if I'm your friend, I get to be a hero. I mean,  
I can prove it too. You're my friend, so you tell me stuff,  
and I can tell people about it. I'm so popular, I know I'll  
be a hero."  
  
"You BETRAYED me!" A years worth of repressed anger and   
depression, normally held back behind the cheerful facade,  
burst forth. Selphie's green eyes blazed with rage. "I  
confided in you, and you betrayed me. You're not a friend,  
you're just a sycophant. You USED me, Alaina. You betrayed  
me so you could be popular with the rest of Trabia Garden.   
Do you call that being a friend?!"  
  
The cadet's face crumpled. "But.. but... Why are you mad  
at me?" She seemed truly confused, and tears were gathering  
in her eyes.   
  
"Forget it." Selphie straightened, and her face went cold.  
"Be at the beach by sundown." She threw down some money  
on the table to pay for the cheesecake and drinks, and  
left the frozen tableu of people behind.  



	5. Food For Thought

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy Eight. The  
original concepts and characters within are my own,  
however.  
  
Later, in her room, Selphie lay staring at the wall. The  
business of the small Garden was over for the day. Tears  
streaked her face. The Headmistress of Trabia Garden was   
a wreck.  
  
She'd refused to answer the knocking on her door of   
concerned students. Eventually, the knocking stopped,  
and she was left alone.  
  
That was fine with Selphie. She didn't want company  
anyway.  
  
*Look at me. I'm acting like Squall.* The brunette  
sniffled, and sat up. She was an emotional wreck. And  
with good reason Alaina had been her best friend as since  
she'd arrived in Trabia as a child.  
  
Selphie sighed. She'd wept almost as much as she had  
when Trabia Garden had been demolished by the missiles.  
She looked a bit better than after that, though. Before,  
she'd stayed up all night, weeping, and when she did   
sleep fitfully, she'd had nightmares almost as bad as  
the dreams about Ultimecia and time compression.  
  
No, it was only her face that was streaked with   
tears and reddened. Her uniform was neatly folded  
and placed on a shelf, and she wore a loose and  
comfortable robe.  
  
Wiping her face as clean of tears, Selphie slipped   
on a pair of slippers. *Might as well take a bath.   
It must be pretty late at night by now, so the main   
bath must be empty.*  
  
She didn't meet anyone on the way down to the baths.  
Reaching them, she regarded the main bath, and the  
small bathing chambers set aside from it.  
  
Due to the limitations of space, and of material,  
Selphie had decided that not every room could  
have a shower cubicle like old Trabia Garden.  
The tradeoff was a large bathing area on one of  
the lower levels that was open to everyone. For  
the shy, there were a few private bathing tubs  
in little huts made out of the amyethest material.  
  
Selphie usually opted for the private bath areas,  
but since it was so late, and the night patrol  
wasn't due to turn in for another two hours,  
she stripped off her robe and slipped into the  
larger tub of steaming hot water.  
  
*The problem is,* she decided *That power tends  
to isolate.* She remembered Quistis making a   
comment to that effect. *There's too much  
potential here for cadets to try to use my  
friendship for self-gain. Even old friends like  
Alaina...* Selphie frowned angrily, then dismissed  
the thought from her mind. *Except for Seifer,   
Fujin, and Raijin, I really don't have anyone  
to talk to up here. I was so glad to see Zell...*  
  
She sank lower in the water, submerging   
everything but her head. *Which mustbe why Old  
Headmaster Himemiya resigned.* Selphie remembered  
the young woman from when Selphie had only been  
twelve. Anthy Himemiya was a high-ranking SeeD,  
originally from Trabia who wielded a sharp and   
deadly rapier. The purple-haired beauty had been   
loved by everyone, because of her sweet disposition.   
While seemingly shy and mild-mannered, Headmaster  
Anthy didn't shirk on punisments either.  
  
Eventually, Himemiya had resigned within two  
years, and returned to Balamb to reunite with  
her shieldmate, Utena Tenjou.  
  
*There's no SeeDs but me.* Selphie stared at   
the water. *I'm alone up here. Quistis was  
right.*  
  
Sitting up, she yawned. The hot water had made  
her sleepy. Pulling herself up out of the water,  
she toweled herself dry, then wound her robe   
around herself, and headed for the warm comfort  
of her bed.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The next day, at breakfast, Alaina was nowhere  
to be seen. That suited Selphie just fine. She  
dug into the food with gusto, devouring the dry  
fruit that was a treat in Trabia.  
  
"Headmistress, mind if I take a seat?"  
  
Selphie looked up and saw Moira. "Sure." She  
gestured at the bench beside her.   
  
"Word got round the Garden this morning that Alaina   
was the one behind the rumors that have been   
circulating about you being near a nervous breakdown,   
or ready to go nuts." Moira bit off a chunk of  
Mesmerize meat and chewed thoughtfully.   
Swallowing, she continued "To Trabia, you're a  
hero. The fearless leader, like Squall Leonheart.  
So Alaina's getting the proverbial cold shoulder,  
and no one's very sympathetic towards her right  
now. Karma's a bitch and all that."   
  
"Oh." Some of the righteous anger towards Alaina  
went out of Selphie, and she began to feel   
guilty.  
  
"Don't be like that." Moira said, noticing the  
guilty look. "She deserved what she got. Played  
with fire, and got royally scorched."  
  
"She was my friend, though." Selphie said.   
  
"Not much of a friend if she's spewing your  
secrets to any and all of her friends now, is  
she?" Moira replied, staring at her instensly.  
"No, she deserved what she got. Don't trust  
someone who stabbed you in the back. It'll just  
get you another stabbing." She clapped Selphie on  
the shoulder. "Anyway, I've got practice with the  
sharpshooting rifle today. Seeya." The redhead  
got up and headed for the kitchen with her mostly  
empty tray.  
  
Selphie, looking after her, smile. Moira was  
right, she decided. With a nod, she smiled.  
  
The redhead had situation pegged, and Selphie  
felt better for it.  
  
Turning her attention to her food, she dug in.  
  
  
  
Authors Notes: Don't worry, there is an explanation  
on why Selphie blew her top like that, besides  
stress and anger.   
  
Also, I'm wondering if I should do a small sidestory  
for Mara, set after the sixth chapter. I have plans  
for my little redheaded character. Mwahahaha.  
  
FYI, Selphie and Seifer are not going to be a couple.  
Gah. It wouldn't work, even with my version of   
Selphie, and I'm not going to even try.  
  
Thanks for the reviews, and keep 'em coming! 


	6. Disturbing Discoveries

Later in the week, Selphie was going over the  
budget for Trabia when she heard a muted roar  
from outside of the Garden. Half a minute later,  
the sentries who had been on guard at the entrance  
raced into her office, an irate Fujin right behind  
them, a fierce scowl on her face. She caught up with  
them halfway across the room, and grabbed the collars  
of their uniforms, neatly stopping both of the students.  
They still managed to get out what they had to say,  
though.  
  
"The Ragnarok! The Ragnarok is heading towards the  
old Trabia Garden!"  
  
"Get the patrol in with chocobos, and bring 'em in.  
I'll be going to greet them myself." Selphie replied,  
leaving the papers where they were. "Fujin, grab   
Seifer and Raijin and make sure you three stay  
out of sight."  
  
"AFFIRMATIVE."  
  
"I want Moira and Jax to accompany me. Tell them to  
get their fur uniforms up and to meet me in the foyer."   
Selphie called over her shoulder, adjusting the carrying   
sak holding the nunchaku on her back as she headed for  
the door to her office.  
  
Five minutes later, Selphie and the two cadets were  
on chocobos headed towards the old Trabia Garden.  
  
When they arrived, the forms of twenty confused   
cadets and five SeeDs were looking through the  
ruins. The two cadets on duty at the gates   
halted the three chocobo mounted Trabians at  
the gate. "Who goes there?" one of them said,  
obviously ready to sound an alarm.  
  
"Headmaster Tilmitt. These are cadets Jax and  
Moira." Selphie replied crisply, unwrapping her  
scarf enough to allow the cadets to see her  
face. "What's going on?"  
  
"Active Headmaster Zell Dincht sent us up to  
be trained at Trabia, Ma'am." one of them   
replied.   
  
"Who's in command on this?"  
  
"Xu, Ma'am."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"She's on the Ragnarok, Ma'am."  
  
"Stay here." Selphie told Jax and Moira. "Back  
these two up, and kill any monsters you  
see." The two cadets saluted and dismounted,   
keeping a firm hand on the chocobos. Once the  
chocobos were tied in place, the two cadets   
pulled out their weapons and settled into guard  
position.  
  
The Ragnarok was just about a quarter of the  
way around the old Garden. Selphie nudged   
her chocobo into a trot, and it obligingly  
trotted off towards the airship.  
  
Xu was listening the the report of a cadet  
in the entryway to the hold when Selphie led   
her chocobo up the ramp. "Xu?"  
  
"Selphie! Good to see you." The short brunette  
smiled at her. "We were worried when we couldn't  
find anyone."  
  
"We moved the new location to a cave system  
about five miles northeast of here." Selphie  
told her.  
  
"Really? Come inside and mark it on the map."  
  
Selphie obliged her, and Xu handed her a tube  
like the messengers for Balamb usually used.  
"Zell asked me to give this to you." she told  
Selphie. "He also said to tell you that the  
GFs in Balamb have disappeared.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"That was their reaction too." Xu shrugged.  
"All of them are gone, and I do mean all.  
Squall and Quistis are throwing hissy fits  
over it."  
  
"What do you mean, 'hissy fits'?" Selphie  
asked, concerned. "Xell told me they were  
acting wierd..."  
  
"Yeah. Squall's not concerned with anything  
not related to killing any monster that   
crosses within a hundred mile radius of him.  
Quistis is the same. And they're using Rinoa  
as a weapon of war, letting her drain her  
Sorceress powers to kill things then going in  
and killing what's left. Esthar's running  
out of monsters."  
  
Selphie frowned. "Tell Zell to try to get them  
to loosen up. That doesn't sound like Squall  
or Quistis. What about Rinoa?"  
  
"She's on sick leave for exhaustion."  
  
"Well... Squall and Quistis can't use her up  
like that if she's up here. Try and ferry   
her up here, and just tell the two of them  
that she asked for a vacation and you  
granted it. Send Irvine or someone else in."  
  
Xu considered that, and nodded. "Okay. If   
I can get her to agree..."  
  
"Tell her it's for Squall, that he won't   
like her getting real sick, and he'd like  
her up here." Selphie suggested.  
  
"Sounds about right." Xu nodded. "Anyway,  
I'm going to call the cadets back, and  
we're heading for the new site. No need  
to make them go over five miles in these  
conditions in those uniforms."  
  
  
***  
  
  
An hour later, the new cadets had been  
assigned to doubles, and the Ragnarok was  
on its way back to Balamb, via Esthar.   
  
"What I really need," Selphie told Fujin  
as the two went over the files on the new  
cadets "Is a quartermaster. I've had the  
senior cadets dealing with the problem up  
until now, but..." She shrugged. "We   
really need more SeeDs."  
  
"TEST. MAKE SEEDS." Fujin suggested.  
  
"I don't have that authority." Selphie  
tapped the message tube she held in one  
hand against the palm of the other, and  
frowned. Sighing, she twisted the top  
open, and fished out the message, and   
read it over. Most of it just repeated  
what he and Xu had said, but the other  
paper...  
  
"Permission to induct cadets of Trabia into   
SeeD given. SeeDs will be allowed to stay on   
at Trabia or request transfer to Balamb,  
Galbadia, or Esthar Garden. Esthar Garden?"  
Selphie looked up at Fujin. "Looks like   
Zell and Xu have been busy."  
  
"INTERESTING." commented Fujin.   
  
"In four months time, Trabia is expected  
to present Headmaster, Commander, and  
Garden Master to the SeeD council in  
Balamb." Selphie read on. "A report of  
activities is expected, along with a  
expense report." She curled up the paper.  
"Okay. Fujin, I need you to go to Dollet.  
Find someone who needs monster extermination,  
let out the word that Trabia is open for  
business and able to ship out to wherever  
its needed."  
  
"AFFIRMATIVE." The silver-haired woman  
headed off, back straight.  
  
Grabbing the intercom, Selphie flipped it  
on. Sitting down at the desk, she leaned   
back in her chair, intercom mike in hand   
as she cheerfully sang out "Seifer Almasy,   
report to the Headmasters Office."   
  
Seifer showed up within a minute. "I passed  
Fuu in the hall." he said. "What's up, oh  
beautiful and glorious Headmaster?" His  
voice was thick with sarcasm.  
  
"I need to know who in the senior cadets  
is eligible by SeeD standards to take the  
exams." Selphie replied, ignoring the   
sarcasm. "Can you list them, and write  
up the test?"  
  
"You got permission to hold a field exam?"  
  
"Yeah." Selphie grinned widely. "Xu evidently   
dealt with it. So. List. Test. Now!" She said,  
a cheerful look on her face as she pointed at  
him.  
  
"Right away, Frau Tilmitt." Seifer gave her  
an exaggerated bow.  
  
"Hey!" Selphie leaned back in her chair, and  
massaged her forehead. A headache had   
sprung up all of a sudden. "Darn it. I hope  
I'm not sick." She shrugged, and did her best  
to ignore it as she set to work.  
  
  
Authors Notes: This actually ran on longer than  
I thought it would. Mea culpa. In the next  
chapter, Trabia Garden finally gets to see  
some action. 


End file.
